fatuous

[fach-oo-uhs]

adjective

1. foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly; witless.

   Synonyms: dull-witted, dull, dense, dim, brainless

2. Archaic.,  unreal; illusory.

fatuous

/ ˈfætjʊəs /

adjective

1. complacently or inanely foolish

Other Word Forms

• fatuously adverb
• fatuousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatuous¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin fatuus “silly, foolish, idiotic”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatuous¹

C17: from Latin fatuus ; related to fatiscere to gape

Example Sentences

But Swinney told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show that the prime minister's position was "fatuous" due to the "clearly established basis" set out after the SNP's historic win 14 years ago.

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It’s fatuous nonsense, of course, but it does show that he understands tax cuts for the wealthy are not popular.

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On Monday, he repeated the fatuous nonsense he's spewed for ages:

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He also repeated his fatuous insistence that he could trust Putin because they had both been persecuted by the "Russia hoax," after which he proceeded to rant incoherently about Hunter Biden's bathroom.

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Wade' until he belatedly realized it wasn't popular, at which point he came up with his fatuous rationale that "everyone wanted it to go back to the states."

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When To Use

What are other ways to say fatuous?

The adjective fatuous describes people or things that are foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner. Do you know when to use fatuous, foolish, silly, inane, stupid, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.